Valve



Aug. 19, 1952 D, MAPES 2,607,367

I VALVE Filed Dec. 2l, 1944 /JZ y@ 126 J6 f ,i 154 122 IZ lJ4 i?? 5;; 2- ma /06 y m 1; 12180 r 42 l l 40 52 1 30 7 mi: fm was Q v 24 gg 66 6 68 "2 i Ja 6o -62 9 96` f `22 5+/ l I4# ifl INVENTOR. zzmel Mdpes 4larger area than the main valve member.

Patented Aug. 19, 1952 UNITED STATES rAreNr l orFICE I i y VALVEl Y Daniel. Mapes, West "Caldwell,l N.Z J., assigner Ato Specialties Development V`Corporation, Bloomfield, N. J., a corporation ofvNew Jersey Application December 21, 194,4,k Serial No. 569,133

Abon dioxide for re extinguishing purposes, `and vother fluids for other applications, it has been customary to operate the main valves by the pressure mediabeing controlled. In a valve of this type, the mainvalve is' held closed by the pressure of the iiuid media, and is opened by a pressure responsive device, such as a piston lof T e pressure media admitted to the piston cylinder, is controlled by a pilot valve member of small area and requiring less force for its operation.

than the main valve member.

It has also been usual, in a valve of lthis type, to l provide the main valve with a pilotvalve aperture which is controlled by the pilot Valve member. A hollow main valve stem,l which communicates with the pilot valve aperture, is connected to the piston for operating the main valve, and serves as a conduit.for,conductingl the fluid pressure media to the'fpiston,gandfas va means through which a pilot valve stem extends for operating thepilotvalve member. l

' An object'of the, present inventionis V4to pro: vide avalve of the pilot type with only one stem, or one complet'e `stem',=such as ythe main stem, which operates both the pilot and mainvalve members, and to effect ythis result in a novel manner toy very materially reduce the number of parts, to simplify the necessary retainedparts, to reduce the amount of machining, andv to render'the valve more compactfand an improvement generally in its eld. y i.

` Another object i to provideianovel unit structure which is'adapted ftodirectly'actuate a pilot valve andla main valve, as above mentioned, with minimum effort; i

Another Objectis to adapt. a y"single valve stem for'successive movements, or continuous'steps: of substantiallythe same.. movement, whereby one movement, ,or stepof the same movement, actuat's a pilot Valve for effecting a succeeding movement or step for actuatingthe main valve,

as distinguished from entire movements or steps of separate stems. o A further object is to provide a device of the above indicated character which is simple and durable in construction, economical V to manufacture, and effective in its operation. n f

"A still further object is toprovide a firek extinguisher embodying' the present invention. ,A

Other and `:further objects lofthe invention will ,be obvious upon .an understanding of the `illustrative embodiment about 'tobe vdescribed,"or will bejindicated in the appended claims, and

.various'advantages not referred to hereinwll Lcured to a container. L f Referring tov the drawing, there is shown the upper portion of ya high pressure iiuid media container I6, such asa cylinder-for storing'. carbon -dioxide adapted to serve asa fire extinguishing medium, having a valve yor control head A'l2 secured thereto for controlling the discharge of the pressure media therefrom. 4

The container l0 has a neck I4 provided with an vinterior vtapered screwv thread I6. The con- :trol headv l2 comprises a body or housing I8 pro- A:vided-'witha lower inlet portion 20 cooperativel1y screw .threaded into the neck i4, a main Valve chamber portion 22 communicating with the in- ;let of., the .portion 26, and having a main valve seat, 24 aroundthe inn-er end 26 of a bore 28 extending from .the'chamber 22 to an outer end 36 of the bo-re constitutingy a recessed? portion for receiving a cap 34 constituting a pistonl cylinder .35v and communicating withv the exterior of the head through an opening 36 in the cap, as more fully will appear;V 1

fA bore38, communicating transversely, to, the bore 26 through the head,

- and through a discharge conduit coupling 46,

cooperates ,withy the portion of the bore toward the chamber 22,therefrom to constitute an outlet conduit from thechamber- An interiorly screw threaded recessed portion42 of the head body I8, communicating with the valve chamber 22 through ducts 44v and 46, is adapted to receive an excess pressure safety blowout disc 48, held in position by a gasket 56, and an anti-recoil discharge, screw plug52. k vAmain valve member 54, inthe chamber' 22, comprises a cup llike shell 56 havinga bottom wall edge 58 dening a hole in the shell in which ay bottom edge 60 of a core member 62 is dis,- posed and peened outwardly for mounting the shell on the core. A yieldable body 64, constituting the direct sealing contact portion of the main valve member 54 for the valve seat 24, surrounds the core 62 i r 1 the shell 56 which has an with, and extending includinga pilot valve seat around an outlet,A

portion -'l2. Above the outlet portion 12, as shown, the core 62 has a, portion 'I4 outwardly shaped to center the main valve member 54 in the bore 28 and having a recess 16 in which a hollow valve stem 78 longitudinally slidably fits with its lower end 88 normally spaced above a shoulder i 82 of the core for engagement by the end 60, as

` ther thrust downwardly to carry with it the stem 78, whereby the lower end 80 of the latter enwill further appear. v

A pilot valve member 86 inthe chamber 68,v has a short rod like part 88 projecting therefrom into the stem 18 for engagement by a pin 98 xed? to the stem. The pilot valve member 86 is nor-- mally biasedinto engagement with the seat 148 by the pressure media, and by a compression spring 92 resting on a sleeve 84 that is pressed fitted or otherwisesecured tok the core member in the pilot valve chamber 68.

The main valve member 5 6 isnormally biased into. engagement with the seat 24 by the iiuid pressura'and by acompression., spring 66 supported by a Syphon tube 88, and surrounded by Ya tubulartportion Y|09 of a member |82 which is screw threadably supported on the portion and Ascrewthreadably supports the. syphon tube 98.

, The cap 34, constituting a cylinder for a piston head |013, or a chamber for other iluid pressure device, such as a bellows, Vis screw threadab-ly mounted inthe recess of the portion against a washer |66, over a sealing gasket or packing gland ||l8in a recess k| I8 of the body I8 Aaround thebore 28. The inner end edge H2 of the cap 3 4 and the washer l|86 form an .annular space H communicating witha' duct IIS in the body I8 and a duct Ill in thecup 34 for venting the lowerY or advance side of the piston |611(Y The piston head Iii/ which, with the hollow stem 'I8 as its rod, constitutes a piston, is press vtted or otherwise secured to the stem over a shoulder H8 thereon, and has a gasket |28, or

piston ring structure, in an annular perpiheral gasket orring Vseat thereof. The cap V3d carries a sealing gasket or packing gland |22 around theY aperturefl in anouteiuend wall` |2t` ofthe cap through' Which'the lstem 'I8 extends;

The stem 18 has a transverse innerpartition |28 closing the bore thereof, adjacent to which aradial duct |38 constitutes a passageway Whereby the stem constitutes a conduit for conducting the uid fromf the chambers 22 and 68. to the cylinder cap 34 at the fluid pressure side of the piston head |84. Aibove the partition |28, Vthe stem 18 is provided with aA small longitudinal bore |32n comunicating between transverse ducts |34 and |36 above and-'below the wall I 26, respectively, and closed by an operating handle or knob |38, or by other means, such as a plug. A spring |50 between the handle |38 and the cap 34, normally maintains the stem 78 in the upper position shown. This structure normally provides a vent for the fluid pressure side of the piston, and closes thisV vent when the stem is manually thrust inwardly, by the handle |138 or otherwise, by placing the duct |34 in the sealing gasket or gland |22, when the stem is actuated to open the pilot valve. Theouter'end of the'stem may be constituted otherwisethan as shown for the relayed thrust action of remotely controlled actuating means.

lnfoperation, with all of the parts disposed in the inactive non-discharging positions as rod portion 88 and the pin 90, along the stem and through the duct |38 into the cylinder 34 at a position above, or at the i'iuid pressure side of the piston head |813.v The latter is thereupon fur- 7 member 54 for the release of the main discharge flow from the chamber 22 into the bore 28, and through the bore 38, and the coup-ling `fill, to a conduit, such as a hose or a pipe.

During the above described action, the second, or piston operated thrust may so closely follow the initial thrust as to be manifested substantially as a continuation, or only-a momentary Yinterruption thereof, whereby an operators hand or other meansk may follow through on the action. However, it is Vonly necessary that the initial thrust be sui-licient to open the pilot valve, which is all that is required of an actuator or othe structure forming a part of the device. y

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that a novel main and pilot valve structure arrangement has been provided, which is simplified and rendered more economical and compact, as to number and complication oi parts, manufacture, reduction in size and other factors, and Iwhich is a substantial improvement in appa- Vratus with Which the invention is concerned.

As various changes may be made in the form,

construction and arrangement of the parts herein, without departing =from the spirit and scope of the invention, and without sacricing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense. f

I claim: s

l. A valve comprising a housing having a valve chamber provided with an inlet, an outlet and a-main* valve seat intermediate said inlet and outlet, and having a piston chamber adjacent said valve chamrberprovided with` alignedape'rtures at opposite ends thereof respectively extending from said piston chamber to said valve chamber and-,from said piston chamber to `the exterior vof said housing; a mainY valve member formed with an inlet, an outletand an yintermediate pilot valve seat; Ya pilot valve member;

member and said main valve member constructed andarranged `to first eect unseating Vof vsaid pilot valve member before engaging said main valve. member to effect unseating thereof upon movement of sai-dystem; said stem having a pas-'- sage for establishing communication between 'said main valve member inlet and said piston chamber at the Working side of said piston when said pilot valve is unseated, and saidV stem having a second passage normally establishing communicationY between the exterior of said housing land said piston chamber at the working side of said piston and constructedand arranged Yto shut olf such communication when said stern ismoved to unseat said pilot valve member. n

2. A valve according to claim l, including 5 spring means constructed and arranged for normally urging said stem out of engagement with said pilot valve member and said main valve member to place said secondjpassage in communication with the exterior of said housing and thereby vent said piston l'lliatmber.

3. A valve according to claim 2, including spring means for urging saidpilot valve member against its seat when said first mentioned spring means act to urge said stem out of engagement with said pilot valve member whereby communication between said main valve member inlet and said piston chamberlisgshut oif,

4. A valve according to claim 3, including spring means for urging said main valve member on its seat. f if DANIEL MAPES.

6 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the vfile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

